Fish-iron.



G.-SHRODER & J. GHRISTIANSEN.

' FISH IRON. APPLIOATIOH FILED JULY 28, 1908.

91 1 Q 167. Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

I I D J s g a! Q 6v Z4 J) &

awoontozg oAaL sHRoDERZAND. JOHN C msTIA sEN, or. LucnWncoNsm.

FISH-IRON. 3

No. 911,167.. f

Specification of Letters Patent,

' Patented Feb. 2,, 1909.

Application filed July 28, 1908. Serial No. 445,804.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL SHRoDER and JOHN CHRIsTrANsEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Luck, in the county of Folk, State of Wisconsirnhave invented a new and useful Fish-Iron, of whicli meallowing is a specification. V

This invention relates to fish irons and has for its object to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of thischaracterespecially designed'for. catching fish as the latter lie dormant at the bottom of a stream or other body of water.

A further object of the invention istoprovide a fish iron including co-acting spring actuated impaling jaws on one of which is pivotally mounted a trigger adapted to bear against a projection on the mating jaw for normally holding said jaws in open or oper ative position. j r

A further object is to form the impaling jaws with terminal finger pieces or handles so that said jaws may be readily moved to open or operative position without danger of the active ends of the jaws cutting or otherwiselacerating the hand of the operator.

A still further object of-the invention is generally to improve this classof devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency as well' as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

Further objects and advantages :will appear in the followingdescription, it being understood that various changes'in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope ofthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a por spective view of a fish iron constructed in accordance with our inventionshowing the impaling jaws in open or operative position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same showing the jaws in closed position. Fig.- 3 is a vertical sectional view.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all-of the figures of the drawings.

The improved fish iron formingthe subject matter of the present invention includes a longitudinally disposed shank 5 preferably in the form of a strip of flat metal having an intermediate portion thereof off set at 6 and its upper end provided with a terminal tang 7 adapted to be driven into an operating handle 8. Secured to or formed integral with thelower end of-theshank 5 is a cross bar 9 between which and a similar cross bar 9- carried bya plate 17' are pivotally mounted at I 10 a pair of co-acting impaling jaws 11. The

inner longitudinal edges of the impaling jaws 11 are provided with teeth or serrations 12 preferably inclined the direction of the bars 9 so as to prevent the escape of the fish when the jaws are moved to closed position.

"Pivotally mounteol'at 13 onone of the jaws 11 is a transverse bar ortri'gger 14, the opposite end'of whichis V cutaway to produce a shoulder 15 ad pted to bear against a lugor projection. 16 forholding the jaws in open position.

w The plate 17'is rifvetedor otherwise rigidly secured to one side of the shank 5 and has its intermediate portion off setat 18 for registration with the offset portion 6 of the supporting shank, thereby to form a recess or chamber19 for the reception of a coiled spring 20-.

Disposed within the=chamber 20 and riveted or other-wise rigidly secured to the oif set portion 18, as indicated at 21, is a partitionor diaphragm 22- having-one end thereof spaced from the adjacent wall of the off set portion 6 to permit the passage of the spring 20.

The up or ends of the impaling jaws 11 are extended ongitudinally beyond the adjacent pivot pins 10 to form terminal outwardly curved finger pieces or handles 23, there being lugs-24 extending laterally from the inner faces of the finger pieces 23 for engagement with the adjacent oonvolutions ofthe spring 20.

It will herehe notedthat the artition or diaphragm 22 intersects one of t e convolutions of the spring 20 so as to divide the spring into-two sections, the diaphragm 22 forming a rigid abutment for the adjacent end of each spring section.

In operation the jaws are moved to open position by exerting an inward ressure on the finger pieces 23 which causes t e shoulder 15 to engage the lug 16 and lockthe jaws in open position. The operator lowers the device to the bottom of t e stream by means of the handle 8. 'As' a fish comes in contact with. the trigger 14 the shoulder 15 will be disengaged from the lug 16 thus causing the spring 20 to move the'jaws 11'to closed positlon and impale the fish thereby efiectually preventing the escape of thelatter.

Attention is here called to the fact that the trigger 14 rests upon the pin or projection 16 when-the device is in closed or inoperative position sothat when the jaws are moved to open osition the lower longitudinaledge of the trigger 14 will ride over the pin 16 until the notch registers therewith when the shoulder 15 will automatically engage the pin thus permitting the setting of the device without the necessity of manually grasping the active ends of the impaling jaws and without lacerating or otherwise injuring the hand of the operator. It will also be noted that the lower end'of the shank 5 projects below the adjacent cross bars of said shank and between the clamping jaws, as indicated at 10, thereby to limit the inward movement of said aws. 1 The lower ends of the im aling jaws 11 are referably inclined or beve ed at 24 to assist in guiding the fish between the jaws and in contact with the trigger 14.

In some cases the shank of the implement may be formed of a single piece of metal instead of being constructed in two pieces riveted together.

While the device is principally designed for catching fish it is obvious that the same may be used with equally good results as a trap for catching animals of different kinds. It will also be understood that the handle 8 may be detached and the tang 7 embedded in the ground so that the device may be used as a trap for catching musk-rats and the like.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided an extremely simple, inexpensive and efiicient device admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described including a shank, co-acting impaling jaws pivotally mounted on the shank and each having one end thereof extended longitudinally beyond the adjacent pivot to form a finger piece, a spring interposed between said finger pieces, and a trigger pivotally mounted on one of the jaws and adapted to engage the mating jaw for supporting said aws in open position, the lower end of the shank being extended between the jaws to form a stop for limiting the closing movement of said aws.

2. A device of the class described including a shank having an intermediate chamber, a pair of co-acting im aling aws pivotally mounted on the shan r and each having one end thereof extended longitudinally beyond the adjacent pivot to form a terminal finger piece, a spring seated in the chamber and caring against the adjacent finger pieces, a diaphragm secured to one wall of the cham her and intersecting one of the convolutions of the spring, and a trigger pivotally mounted on one of the impaling jawsand engaging the adjacent jaw for locking said jaws in open position.

3. A device of the class described including a shank provided with an intermediate chamber, a cross head secured to one end of the shank, co-acting impaling jaws pivotally mounted on the cross head and each having one end thereof extended longitudinally beyond the adjacent pivot to form a terminal finger piece, a coiled spring seated in the chamber and having its opposite end bearing against the adjacent finger pieces, a diaphragm seated in said chamber and intersecting one of the convolutions of the spring, one wall of the diaphragm being spaced from the adjacent walls of the chamber to permit the passage of said spring, a projection extending laterally from one of the impaling jaws, and a trigger pivotally mounted on the mating jaw and provided with a terminal shoulder adapted to bear against the projection for holding said jaws in open position.

4. A device of the class described including a shank having an intermediate portion thereof off set and one end. thereof provided with a tang for engagement with a supportin handle, spaced cross bars secured to the opposite end of the shank, a plate secured. to said shank and having an intermediate portion thereof off set and adapted to register with the off set portion of the shank to form a chamber, a diaphragm seated in said chamber, coaeting impaling aws pivotally mounted between the cross bars and. each having one end thereof extended longitudinally beyond the adjacent pivot and thence curved laterally to form a terminal finger piece, a coiled spring bearing against the inner faces of the terminal finger pieces and having some of its convolutions bearing against the dia phragm, a rejection extending laterally from one of t 1e impaling aws, a trigger pivotally mounted on the mating jaw and provided with a terminal shoulder adapted to engage the projection for holding the aws in open position, the inner longitudinal edges of the impaling jaw s being provided with teeth and the terminals thereof inclined in the direction of said teeth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto aflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL SHRODER. JOHN CHRISTIANSEN.

Witnesses:

J. P. PETERSON, M. M. PETERSON. 

